SANFORD — H&R Block will lead a free talk on health care and other tax matters at Goodall Library at 952 Main Street on Friday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m. While most Americans are aware of the tax penalty if they fail to obtain health insurance coverage by 2014, 77 percent of respondents surveyed by The Tax Institute were unaware of the importance of their 2012 tax return in the reform. The 2012 tax return will be used as a baseline for your income if you choose to take the tax credit to help pay for health care insurance premiums; that means the information on your tax return this year will help you understand what choices you have when signing up for health care exchanges next fall. Those attending the tax talk on Feb. 15 will have an opportunity to talk with H&R Block tax professionals about how tax law changes will affect them, get a FREE Second Look review of previous tax returns, receive tax tips, review tax planning options, and discuss other financial issues.

SANFORD — The Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church, 5 Lebanon St., opens its nonfood pantry, the Corner Cupboard, at Goodall Hall on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The pantry will be open on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. According to the church’s website, the Corner Cupboard is dedicated to “honoring the integrity and worth of all individuals. We do not discriminate based on people’s needs.” Items available through the Corner Cupboard include personal hygiene items, paper goods, trash bags, laundry and dish detergent, cleaners, sponges, cat litter, pet food, Band-Aids, first aid cream, batteries, light bulbs, diapers, and other baby supplies. The pantry also offers educational assistance in areas such as literacy, health, community resources and financial responsibility. For more information, call 324-3191.

SANFORD — Curtis Lake Church at 38 Westview Drive has a “Celebrate Recovery” group that meets every Monday at 7:30 p.m. to help people work through life’s hurts, hangups, habits and addictions. The public is invited. For more information, call 324-0652.

YORK COUNTY — Area families can learn more about a new approach to caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by participating in online workshops hosted by the local Home Instead Senior Care office. Developed by the Home Instead Senior Care network, in conjunction with a team of the top Alzheimer’s experts in North America, the Alzheimer’s CARE Program uses an approach that taps into long-term memories to help families cope with the difficult side effects of the disease. For more information about free family caregiver training or to obtain a free copy of the Helping Families Cope booklet, contact the local Home Instead Senior Care office at 207-985-8550 or visit online at www.HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com.

SANFORD — The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a support group that meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month at the North Parish Congregational Church at 893 Main Street. The meetings are open to anyone interested in bettering the lives of those living with or concerned about mental illness. For more information, contact Richard Lowe at (207) 703-0623 or rmlowe236@comcast.net. To learn more about NAMI, visit online at www.nami.org.

SANFORD — Caring Unlimited, York County’s Domestic Violence Resource Center, provides direct support and safety planning services to women, children and men whose lives are affected by domestic abuse and violence. Since 1977 it has been the mission of Caring Unlimited to work with the community to bring an end to domestic violence through its programs and services, including a 24-Hour Confidential Hotline, an Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Support and Education Groups, Legal Advocacy, School-Based Education and Advocacy, and Community-Based Education and Training. Caring Unlimited also regularly offers volunteer training and other opportunities to get involved. For more information, visit online at www.caring-unlimited.org or call 490-3227. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, please call the organization’s confidential hot line at 1-800-239-7298.

SANFORD — With Sweetser’s new Open Access service, clients in the Sanford area can take advantage of services as soon as they are needed. Sweetser provides new clients with immediate assistance and support, whether they have a single-service need or require more in-depth services. The service can be accessed through the PromiseLine at 1-800-434-3000; after answering a few screening questions, clients can receive an appointment for the same day, or whenever is convenient for them. Walk-in clients can also be served at Sweetser’s Sanford location in Suite 118 at the Lower Mid-Town Mall at 890 Main Street. Full-time assessment clinicians are available to meet with the clients Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SANFORD — Always Enough, a soup kitchen, is now open at the Sanford-Springvale Vineyard Church at 77 Emery St. The kitchen operates between 5 and 6 p.m. every Wednesday. The kitchen’s mission is “to serve the people of the community by providing a nutritious meal to those in need — the homeless, the unemployed, the underemployed, the elderly and struggling families. For more information, call 324-7776 or send an email to alwaysenough@myfairpoint.net.

SANFORD — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 207 meets at the Sanford Fish and Game Club on Route 4 every Friday morning. Weigh-in takes place from 9 to 10 a.m. The meeting follows from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. For more information, call 636-6809.

SANFORD — Local Vietnam veteran Ron Lemire has established a new thrift shop to “help fill the void left when Goodwill departed Sanford.” A percentage of sales at the shop will go toward local veterans’ organizations for troop support. The shop is located behind Dairy Queen at 1016B Main St. and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Donations are accepted; volunteers are needed. For more information, call 207-604-6770.

SANFORD — The Alpha Pregnancy Resource Center is located in the Mid-Town Mall in Sanford, next to Aroma Joe’s drive-thru. Alpha provides pregnancy tests and peer counseling, as well as educational classes covering pregnancy, birthing, parenting, healthy relationships and single-parenting support through its “Earn While You Learn” program. Earned points are used for purchasing diapers, wipes, baby furniture and other needs. The center provides a safe, confidential place for women and men facing planned or unplanned pregnancy and informs them of their options. All appointments are confidential and the services are free. Call 324-5752 or send an email to alpha@gwi.net. For more information, visit online at www.alphapregnancyhelp.com.

If you would like to see your support group or program or service placed here, please send the information to Editor Shawn Sullivan at ssullivan@sanfordnews.com.